THE WAKKER WEEKLY - Issue #1456 - Posted on: 24-Dec-2018

BUSHWAKKER NEWS

The Bushwakker management and staff wish you a peaceful holiday season filled with joy, good health and happiness!

NEWS FROM THE BREWERY! Head brewer, Michael Gaetz, reports our seasonally available BLACKBERRY MEAD, MISSILETOW CHRISTMAS ALE, KAI’S MUNICH HELLES and CHICO LIGHT SESSION IPA are now on tap. A batch of ARCTIC DARK LAGER, CHINOOK ESB and FLEK’S CZECH MUNICH DUNKEL are working their way through the brewery.

Bushwakker Prime Rib Weekends Have Returned! Our melt-in-your-mouth, low-and-slow roasted prime rib dinners with jumbo Yorkshire pudding are back for the winter season! Available all day and night Fridays and Saturdays and beginning at 5:00 PM on Sundays. Choose from either an 8 oz. or a 10 oz. cut. Prime rib is definitely one of Bushwakker executive chef Mike’s specialties.

Our GUEST TAP is currently pouring the Fallen Angel Belgian Golden Strong from Saskatoon’s Paddock Wood Brewery. Next up is a Sherry Barrel-Aged Dunkel from Regina’s District Brewing which will be followed by the CooCoo Cocoa Milk Stout from Regina’s Malty National Brewing.

Our December premium red wine feature is the Santa Julia Reserva Malbec from Argentina; $9.50 for a glass and $26.95 for a half litre. The premium white wine is the Bree Riesling from Germany; $8.50 for a glass and $23.95 for a half litre.

650 ml glass bottles of our number one selling DUNGARVON IRISH RED ALE are currently available at ALL SIX SLGA stores including the Normanview, Quance Street, Broadway Avenue, North Albert Street, Dewdney & Lewvan and South Albert locations!

Bushwakker Gift Ideas for the Craft Beer Enthusiast on Your List.

We still have some 2018 Bushwakker Blackberry Meadcommemorative t-shirts left. Bushwakker Growler Gift Boxes include your choice of a glass or insulated black stainless steel Bushwakker Joe Fafard growler, two pint glasses and a gift certificate redeemable for a growler fill. Our Christmas Variety Six-Pack includes some of our seasonal and specialty offerings including bottles of Blackberry Mead and Missiletow Christmas Ale (available December 9th), our ornate fancy Hop Handle Growler Christmas Package with 2 Glasses and a Growler Fill is also back by popular demand…and you can’t go wrong with a Bushwakker gift card!

Dec. 31: Nothing For New Year's 13: Regina’s biggest non-event of the year returns! Over a decade ago we offered you a simple formulated event and you loved it. No noise makers, no escalated drink prices, no cover charge, no midnight champagne, no dancing, no line-ups, no hassle, no problem! Come spend a relaxing evening at the good 'ol Bushwakker as we welcome 2019. Perhaps try Chef Mike's special prime rib and jumbo Yorkshire pudding New Year's Eve dinner. What a meal to finish off the year! Hurry and make your dinner reservation today!

Jan. 1: CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAY. Happy New Year! Best wishes for good health and happiness in 2019!

Jan. 2: MONTHLY ALES MEETING. So you received a shiny new home brewing kit for Christmas but want to make sure you produce some top quality suds? Be sure to sit in on a meeting with some of the most enthusiastic homebrewers in the city and learn a thing or two on how to take your homebrewing skills to the next level. New members are always welcome. This month’s presentation topic will be Stouts. Meetings are held in the Bushwakker basement clubroom on the first Wednesday of the month at 8:00 PM.

Jan. 4: FIRST FIRKIN FRIDAY. Kick off your new year with a “bang!” Enjoy the pomp and circumstance of this long-standing Bushwakker monthly tradition. A keg of special beer is paraded throughout the brewpub in a procession led by a piper from The Regina Police Service Pipes & Drums. A volunteer is selected to wield the handmade wooden maul affectionately called The Mighty Firkin Wakker and attempt to tap the firkin in one mighty blow. This month’s firkin will be a brand new offering – a Centennial dry-hopped Arctic Dark Lager. 5:30 PM.

Jan. 6: CLOSED FOR OUR STAFF CHRISTMAS PARTY

Jan. 7: Monday Jazz & Blues. WHITEBOY SLIM. We received the sad news that this talented national award-winning blues artist and fine gentleman passed away on December 19th. Our sincere condolences to Maurice's family and friends.

Jan. 17: SCIENCE PUB- Water in a Dry Land: Prairie Aquatic Ecosystems Under a Changing Climate. Our wildly popular Science Pub Series has returned for a seventh incredible season! Enjoy lectures on scientific topics of general interest in our Arizona Room (main floor banquet room) over beer and snacks. The room opens at 5:00 PM and quite often is full by 6:00 PM. Avoid disappointment and come down early for dinner and a pint before the presentation which begins at 7:00 PM. This month’s lecture will be presented by Dr. Kerri Finlay from the Faculty of Science at the University of Regina.

Jan 26: BUSHWAKKER 28th/ROBERT BURNS 260th BIRTHDAY BASH. Join us as we celebrate well over a quarter century of award-winning beer and pub cuisine as well as Scotland’s favourite son, Robbie Burns! Live rollicking reels with A Squeeze of Scotch and The Regina Police Services Pipes & Drums, highland dancing, FREE HAGGIS, neeps and birthday cake, the tapping of the “Scottish” birthday firkin, plus Burns poetry and historical overview from Saskatchewan author and playwright, Ken Mitchell. A great way to shake those January blahs. The dance floor will be open! $5 cover charge in effect. 6:00 PM.

Editor’s note: The craft beers suggested in this article are all from American craft breweries. Remember there are plenty of fine Saskatchewan craft beer substitutions available in SLGA stores as well as private liquor stores. Of course, many of these beer styles are products of the Bushwakker brewery!

The winter holidays are a time when the baking of sweets can warm up a home and later bring smiles when offered as gifts. This year, why not take gift giving up a notch by pairing baked confections with deliciously matched craft beers?

Since some of the best beers for drinking with desserts are also the same styles that are most popular among aficionados during the winter months, a well-chosen beer and home-made dessert combo can really hit a sweet spot with family, friends or co-workers.

A project that lends itself to more than one participant, cooks can bring their favorite craft expert in on the plan to get creative in picking out brews to pair with the treats. Or, craft beer experts can pair up with their favorite cook. Let the recipes begin…

Tiger Butter, a peanut butter and chocolate marbled fudge, is easy to make and impressive to give. It has only three ingredients and whips up in the microwave quickly. Once hardened and cut into pieces, add it to jars with handmade labels or wrap it in a candy box or tin. (It may be helpful to layer in some parchment paper or store the sometimes sticky Tiger Butter in the refrigerator, package and all, until ready to give.)

Tiger Butter pairs well with chocolate stouts. Southern Tier brand’s Mokah, for example, is undeniably chocolaty and a pairing that will thrill any fan of peanut butter cups. For those seeking more complex flavors, Rogue Chocolate Stout has an extensive grain bill including chocolate malt as well as actual chocolate. If coffee and chocolate malt sound like a good combination, Alesmith Brewing Company’s Speedway Stout is an excellent option.

Caramel Corn made with brown ale is another way to spread holiday cheer to fans of craft. Like Tiger Butter, it’s easy to make, feeds a crowd, and can be presented in a variety of packages, such as small burlap bags, painted pails or even a large plastic bag tied with ribbons. It makes about two gallons, so even if a few handfuls of this addictive mix go missing, there will still be plenty to go around.

This recipe is a hit with porters, particularly Maui Brewing Company’s CoCoNut Porter. The chocolate and malty flavors of the brew blend with the nutty, vanilla and chocolate notes of the brown ale in the recipe. Black Butte Porter from Deschutes Brewery and Anchor Porter from Anchor Brewing Company are two more that can enhance the sweet satisfaction.

Gingerbread cookies are classic holiday treats. They’re fun to make and fill the home with a delicious aroma. This cookie needs planning, but the payoff is about three dozen cookies that can be divided up and added to baskets, wrapped in boxes or shared in gift bags. Allow time for the cookies to cool and the icing to set before packing them up.

Malty doppelbocks from German brands, such as Ayinger Celebrator, Weihenstephaner Korbinian or Schneider Weisse Aventinus Tap 6 are the perfect accompaniment to these cookies. The cookies and beer pair up with hints of figs, plums, licorice, and molasses to create flavors of winter.

The key to this kind of gift giving is to start early. When choosing a beer, flavor comes first, but unique labels and cork-and-cage tops can make an even more impressive presentation. For a real treat, put together a combination basket with a little bit of everything. Finally, don’t forget to give yourself and any fellow gift-givers a taste test for all the pairings mentioned, you know, for quality assurance!

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 250°F.
- In a large pot, heat oil over high heat. Add the unpopped popcorn.
- Cover. Moving the pan constantly and slightly venting the lid, pop the corn.
- Remove from heat, discard unpopped kernels and place in a large baking pan. Add the pecans and pretzels and keep warm in the preheated oven.
- Add beer and butter to a saucepan and bring to a low boil. Let reduce by one fourth.
- Add sugar and let boil for about 10 minutes, until it is like thick syrup (a small bit of the caramel dropped in cold water will form a ball). Slowly add the cream and stir to incorporate. Cook for about 5 minutes until caramel is thick.
- Remove from heat and add the salt, vanilla and baking soda. The caramel will foam up. Remove pan of popcorn from the oven and pour caramel over. Mix till everything is well coated. Return to oven and let bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
-To check for doneness, take a few kernels out of the pan and allow to cool. If the caramel is not sticky after a few minutes it is done.
- Remove pan from oven and spread caramel corn mixture out on parchment paper to cool. If you do not eat it all immediately, store in an airtight container.

TIME OUT

- Electric lights were first used on Christmas trees in 1895. Three people die each year testing if a 9 volt battery works on their tongue.
- A popular manufactured Christmas fireplace log warns: “Caution - Risk of Fire.”
- Of the presents received at Christmas, 10% will be broken by the New Year, only 40% will make it to March and just a quarter will be intact by next Christmas.
- The Russian Santa Claus carries a pink piglet under his arm.
- According to a survey, seven out of ten British dogs get Christmas gifts from their doting owners.
- Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.